Ski scooter



June 27, 1967 R. E. DAVIGNON 3,328,045

SKI SCOOTER Filed Feb. 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 27, 1967 R. E. DAVIGNON SKI SCOOTER Filed Feb. 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,328,045 SKI SCOOTER Roland E. Davignon, RJR. 1, Athelstan,

' Quebec, Canada Filed Feb. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 434,201 Claims priority, application Canada, June 6, 1964, 713,453 2 Claims. (Cl. 280-21) This invention relates to improvements in skis which are adapted to be towed behind vehicles such as for instance power boats or snowmobiles.

Many devices have heretofore been proposed for providing suitable means by which persons can be towed over water and snow. One conventional method of towing a person utilizes a pair of simple skis together with a tow rope whereby the person attempts to maintain his balance while being towed. This method generally required a considerable amount of practice and skill on the part of the person being towed and this is difficult for many people to enjoy.

Still other methods employ the use of a single board which is curved at the front and provided with a tow rope, a person merely standing on this device as it is towed through the water. While such a device is comparatively simple to manipulate the manoeuverability of the device is limited to such an extent as to be of little value as a sporting device.

Other devices have been proposed which incorporate various steering vanes and means secured to a single ski or scooter. Such prior devices however suffer from a number of defects in construction and operation. Thus in many cases these prior devices are ditlicult to manoeuver and often so unstable as to be dangerous in operation.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a towable ski device which is highly reliable in operation whether in snow or on water. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a towable ski device which is easily manoeuverable during operation and is suitable for use by young persons as well as adults.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a towable ski device which while being large enough to easily support an adult can be readily folded for carrying and storage.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a towable ski device which incorporates means by which the tow rope is automatically disengaged should a person be thrown thereof and additionally to provide manual means for releasing the tow rope.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a towable ski device which incorporates novel means for skiing whereby even an inexperienced person can readily master operation of the device.

The invention seeks to achieve these and other objects and features such as will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views by providing a forward ski portion swivelably connected to a rear ski portion and handle means operable through the centre of the swivel connection together with a tow rope attachment including automatic release thereof, whereby upon the device being towed by means of the tow rope connected as aforesaid, the handle means may be turned to pivot the forward ski portion thereby to steer the device.

Other objects and features will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a device according to the present invention;

3,328,045 Patented June 27, 1967 FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the device as illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view showing a method for providing a hinge point for the handle member;

FIGURE 5 is a part sectional view of the forward bracing strut and indicates how the strut is adjusted;

FIGURE 6 is a part view on the upper portion of the steering column and illustrates means by which the tow rope attachment is automatically disconnected;

FIGURE 7 is a section along the line 7-7 of FIG- URE 6 and shows further details of the automatic release mechanism; and

FIGURE 8 is a section along the line 8-8 of FIG- URE 6.

With reference to FIGURE l and FIGURE 2 a towable ski device is shown and indicated generally as 11. The device 11 comprises a rear ski portion 12 and a forward ski portion 13 swivelably secured together as indicated at 14 particular details of which will be disclosed in FIGURE 3.

A steering column indicated at 15 is provided substantially at the pivot point at 14 and is held in an upright position by means of the bracing foot 16. Skiing column 15 is provided with the handle bar 17 having grips 18 and 19 thereon whereby the forward portion 13 may be turned at will by a person standing on the aft ski portion 12. It is also preferable to provide the foot holding members 20 in order to aid a person standing thereon.

Other features include a pair of ns 21 and 22 which are secured to the bottom of the rear ski member and the forward ski member respectively by means of the bolts 23 embedded in the plastic material of the ns. The ns 21 and 22 are adapted for use on water however upon it being required to use the ski for snow and ice then the blades 24 and 25 can be secured to the side of the skis to give a better grip in ice and snow. It will be understood that upon the device being used for ice and snow then the tins 21 and 22 would not be required.

With reference to FIGURE 3 further details of the pivot attachment between the forward ski rand the rear ski is shown. Thus it will be seen that the transition member 26 which is rigidly secured to the rear ski portion 12 is provided With a bushing 27 therethrough. A `stub shaft 28 projects upwardly from the forward ski portion 13 and is secured thereto by means of the screws 29 which in turn are secured to Ithe forward iin 22. In this manner the stub shaft 28 is rigidly secured to the forward ski portion 13. The upper end of the stub shaft 28 projects upwardly in rotatable engagement through ythe bushing 27 and is provided with a washer 30 located between -the transition piece 26 and forward ski portion 13 whereby the forward pfortion 13 Vcan be readily-turned even while aconsiderable amount of weight is being borne by `the pivot joint.

A second washer 31 is placed over the stub shaft 28 and the shaft 28 is secured onto transition piece 26 by means of the cotter pin 32. The steering tube 33 is hingeably secured to -the upper end of the stub shaft 28 by means yof the pin 34 this also being illustrated in FIGURE 4. The steering tube 33 is maintained in upright position yby means of the sleeve 35 which is biased downwardly by means of the spring 36 held in position by the washer 37 welded or otherwise secured to steering tube 33.

From FIGURE 4 it will be seen that upon sleeve 35 being raised upwardly the steering tube 33 may be swung about the pin 34 -to assume the position as shown in phantom in FIGURE 4.

With reference to FIGURE 5 means for releasing -the forward bracing strut is shown. The strut 16 comprises the rod 38 pivotally secured at 39 to the attachment hood 40. Rod 38 is slidable within the tube 41 and has a threaded boss 42 secured the-reto by means of for instance welding. A union nut 43 is threaded onto the boss 42 and maintains the rod 38 within the tube 41 thus `to provide a strut 16. Upon the steering column 15 being swung downwardly as previously described the nut 43 is rst loosened whereafter the rod 38 is withdrawn from -the tube 41 whereby if desired the forward ski portion 13 can be swung to one side in order to reduce the overall length of the device.

With reference to FIGURE 6, FIGURE 7 and FIGURE 8 -the means for releasing the tow rope are illustrated. The steering column 15 is provided with a pair of flaps 44 and 45 which are hingeably secured by means of the hinges 46 and 47 to the upper end of the steering tube 33. A towhook 48 is provided with a lower hook member or jaw 49 which is pivotally supported on the pin 50. The lower hook member 49 is held in normally closed position together with the upper portion 51 of the towing bar 48 provides an attachment point, by means of the sliding stop member 52. Member 52 is biased in a forwardly projecting direction by means of the spring 53 held within the slot 54.

A yoke 55 is secured to both aps 44 and 45 and is also secured to the sliding stop member 52 whereby upon the aps 44 and 45 being moved backwardly the stop member 52 is moved backwardly against the spring 53 thereby to release the lower hook member 49 which is then free -to pivot about the pin 50 and thus open to release the tow rope 56. This action may also be accomplished by means of the manual attachment at 57 whereby a skier at will may release the tow rope 56.

Each flap 44 `and 45 is pivotally connected to the steering tube 33 by a U-shaped bracket 62, the vertical portion or which passes through hinges 46 and 47. The hinges 46 and 47 are solidly lixed to the steering tube 33. The -manual lever 57 is connected to a rod 60 which extends from the vertical part of the U-shaped bracket 62.

In operation the device may be used by a person to be towed over water or snow. Upon it being desired to be towed over wate-r the ns 21 and 22 would be secured to the underside and the device `would be assembled las shown in FIGURE 2. A tow rope from a power boat may then be secured to the tie bar 48 and the device may be then towed over the water. A person by manipulating the steering column can cause the forward ski portion 13 to move from side to side whereby the device can be steered as required. Upon a person falling from the device the water striking the flap 44 or 45 will cause the lower hook member 49` to be freed thus allowing the tow rope to be disengaged to prevent dragging of the device through the water.

Upon it being desired to utilize the device for ice or snow the lins 21 and 22 can be removed and the blades 24 and 25 can be substituted which will aid in controlling the device in the snow. The operation of the device in snow is similar to that for the water and it will be understood that the device may be used for downhill runs as well as for being towed in snow. Thus the device can be used -much the same as for ordinary skis the difference being that the steering is accomplished by means of the handle bar 17 in place of the shifting of weight and use of poles as is conventionally used in conventional skis.

I-t will be further understood that while specilc embodiments of the invention has herein been described and illustrated, the invention also contemplates such variations as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

The embodiments `of this invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A towable ski device upon which a person can be towed over lwater or ice and comprising: a rear ski portion; a forward ski portion swivelably `secured to said rear ski portion; a steering column operably secured to said forward ski portion substantially in line with said swivel and passing through said rear ski portion in pivotal connection, whereby said forward ski portion can be swung to steer said device; la towhook including a movable jaw secured to said steering column, said jaw being manually operable to releasably secure `a tow rope thereto; flap -means operably linked to said jaw whereby upon said flap means being struck, said jfaw will open to release said tow rope; and pairs of ice blades secured to either side of each said forward and rear portion, thereby to grip ice `and snow as said device is towed thereover.

2. A towable ski device upon which a person can be towed over water or ice and comprising: a rear ski portion; a forward ski portion swivelably secured to said rear ski portion; a steering column operably secured to said forward ski portion substantially in line with said swivel and passing through said rear ski portion in pivotal connection, whereby said forward ski portion can be swung to steer said device; a towhook including a movable jaw secured to said steering column, resilient means for normally closing the jaw on said towhook, the said jaw adapted to releasably secure a tow rope, flap means pivotally connected to said steering column, yoke means connected between said ap means and said resilient means, whereby a forward or rearward movement of the ap means will actuate the resilient means and -release the jaw and the tow rope.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,968,975 8/1934 Upsacker et al. 280-16 2,367,157 1/1945 Tufts 280--21 X 2,721,088 10/1955 Ritter 9-310 X 2,894,760 7/1959 Kolstad 9-310 X 3,026,546 3/1962 Kakes 9-310 3,027,574 4/1962 Meehan 9-310 3,092,857 6/1963 Churchman 9-310 FOREIGN PATENTS 666,288 7/1963 Canada.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

L. D. MORRIS, M. S. SALES, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A TOWABLE SKI DEVICE UPON WHICH A PERSON CAN BE TOWED OVER WATER OR ICE AND COMPRISING: A REAR SKI PORTION; A FORWARD SKI PORTION SWIVELABLY SECURED TO SAID REAR SKI PORTION; A STEERING COLUMN OPERABLY SECURED TO SAID FORWARD SKI PORTION SUBSTANTIALLY IN LINE WITH SAID SWIVEL AND PASSING THROUGH SAID REAR SKI PORTION IN PIVOTAL CONNECTION, WHEREBY SAID FORWARD SKI PORTION CAN BE SWUNG TO STEER SAID DEVICE; A TOWHOOK INCLUDING A MOVABLE JAW SECURED TO SAID STEERING COLUMN, SAID JAW BEING MANUALLY OPERABLE TO RELEASABLY SECURE A TOW ROPE THERETO; FLAP MEANS OPERABLY LINKED TO SAID JAW WHEREBY UPON SAID FLAP 